Macau Yearbook 2013 - Macao Yearbook

Economyeconomic authorities of the United States and Vietnam. To better service Macao enterprises inmainland China, and to attract mainland China enterprises to invest in Macao, since 2006 IPIM hasestablished liaison offices in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province; Jieyang, Guangdong Province; Chengdu,Sichuan Province, and Shenyang, Liaoning Province. In 2012, the IPIM officially established aliaison office in Fuzhou, Fujian.Macao Business Support Centre, the SME Service Centre and Macao IdeasA subsidiary of IPIM, the Macao Business Support Centre (MBSC) was officially opened on1 August 2002. The centre provides not only office space in Macao for local and overseas officialand semi-official trade promotion organisations and chambers of commerce, but also offices,meeting rooms, small exhibition venues, a library and a computer zone with internet access forenterprises and investors aiming to establish operations in Macao. It also offers comprehensivetrade and commercial services to SMEs. These efforts have helped lower start-up costs and risksfor enterprises, facilitating their development. The centre also established a long-term office andenquiry booth for chambers and institutions, to provide regional trade consultations and businessreferral services, increasing the number of channels for exchanges between Macao and foreignbusinesses.To implement the Government’s policy of strengthening support for SMEs, the Macao BusinessSupport Centre established the SME Service Centre (SMEC) on 23 August 2007. The main functionof the centre is to launch various services in support of local SMEs, catering to the different needs ofthe enterprises in their process of development. These services include support for brand building,one-stop Macao trade consultation, mainland China business operations consultation, conventioninformation and consultation, franchise information and consultation, and providing the latest tradepublications; financial incentives for participation in exhibition and trade fairs, promotion incentivesin electronic business, and SME promotion scheme. The service centre provides enterprises withfacilities and services to help them promote their products and services, find business partners andseek business matching. Since its establishment, the SME Service Centre has held various businessand trade activities, such as seminars, business exchanges, and promoting products and services inforeign countries, to help local SMEs to expand their operations.Macao Ideas, established by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), isthe first merchandise exhibition centre in Macao dedicated to all things “Macao-manufactured”,“Macao-branded”, “Macao designed” and “Agent for products of Portuguese-speaking countries”.The exhibition centre, with several themed exhibition zones, houses over 900 display items. MacaoIdeas has on-site staff offering detailed introductions for visitors and provides commercial and tradeenquiry services, helping visitors to understand Macao enterprises and products. The exhibitioncentre also features a MinM sales zone, which promotes made-in-Macao products among visitors.In 2012, Macao Ideas launched a quarterly magazine – Macao Ideas. Each issue of the magazine,published in printed and electronic versions and also downloadable from the Internet, offers adifferent theme to introduce the enterprises and products featured in the exhibition centre. Thepublication effectively promotes and advertises Macao’s enterprises, thereby developing overseasmarkets for local products.175